But one tremendous obstacle stands in Okami’s way: himself. Despite
spending four years in the UFC and losing only twice in 11 bouts,
his fight style -- at times conservative, muted, dragging -- has
netted few fans. If Silva beats Vitor
Belfort in February and Georges
St. Pierre gets past Josh
Koscheck, would the UFC really elect to have Silva/Okami in
place of a Silva/St. Pierre fight? That’s like asking if you’d
prefer getting kicked in the face over a foot massage.

Is Germany behind the times?

The reaction to the UFC’s first Germany event earlier this year was
as though the promotion was hosting a public execution: lots of
editorials, a call for banning, and the inevitable reference to
fragile little minds. In others words, it was the U.S. reaction to
the UFC in the 1990s.

The UFC seems undeterred, plowing ahead with a second show and
streaming the event online in the wake of a blackout on German
television. While there’s no right or wrong -- MMA is, like most
things, a matter of taste -- it’s unfortunate German fans might
have to suffer the same political suffocation fans Stateside have
had to endure.

Duane Ludwig and Goran Reljic on the chopping block?

Both Duane Ludwig
and Goran
Reljic have posted two losses in their last two bouts,
respectively; three in a row seems often to be the magic number for
pink slips. How fighters interpret that increased adversity is
interesting: will they fight conservatively, minimizing risk in an
effort to sustain employment? Or will they opt for an exciting
fight in the hopes the action keeps them on radar?

Is teenager Michael McDonald the next Vitor Belfort?

Michael
McDonald, 19, has a 10-1 mark in a sport where he might not be
legally allowed to his attend his own after-party. Teenage
prodigies are nothing new -- Vitor
Belfort was around that age in 1997, Dan Lauzon
fought at 18 -- but their pervasiveness might be increasing thanks
to interest in MMA catching younger athletes. McDonald lacks the
physical maturity, but his gas is probably good to go; it’s another
mixed-set of skills that makes outcomes unpredictable.